Treasure Chests

In the months in the run up to Christmas I decided that for the younger nephews and nieces I would this year make them something more lasting than a toy to be cast away soon after Christmas.

In an earlier blog post I showed some wooden wine boxes I had worked on for Christmas presents for grown ups, the same do lots of other box styles and so I added a few to my possibilities for presents list. For the boys I decided that I would make some treasure chests for them to be filled with gold chocolate coins for Christmas and hopefully to fill with their own treasures in the coming years.  Even although I started my projects weeks well in advance of Christmas I was still working on them on Christmas Eve as I hadn't planned on a  painful flare up of my Fibro which put paid to progress while waiting for things to dry before starting the next stage helped pace me.  I now know what suffering for your art means!
 

The boxes were a nice quality although one did have a couple of screws missing on a hinge but that just took a phone call & an emailed photo to customer services at The Works and I was able to get a replacement box.

I used Distress Inks (spray & pad) to stain them. The ink gave good coverage and after they were done they were left for a couple of days to make sure that the ink was dry.

 

Once the ink was dry the inside was decoupaged with napkins which had a vintage map design and the inside edges gilded with Gedeo Liquid Gold. Once that was dry the outside was varnished before adding Grosgrain Petersham ribbon and some pyramid studs to look like leather strapping. Although not shown in the photo each chest had the recipients initial added before finishing off with a final coat of varnish. The initials were coloured with the matching ink and then coated with clear embossing powder and heated to give an enamelled look.

I left the boxes open for a few days to make sure the smell of Mod Podge and Liquid Gold had gone before filling some cello bags with chocolate coins & putting them in the chests.

I am happy to report that they were a massive hit with the boys, especially the pirate lovers!



What I Used

 

Medium Wooden Chest - The Works 

Distress Inks - Tim Holtz

Liquid Gold - Gedeo

World Map Cocktail Napkins - Caspari

Decoupage Glue - Mod Podge

Varnish - Deco Art